Refrigerating apparatus



Jan. 29, 1935. H ElcHE 1,989,653

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed July 29, 1932 T OFFICE 1,989,653 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Harold D. Eiche, Dayton, Ohio, assig'nor to Frigidaire ilorporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application July 29, 1932, Serial No. 625,783

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to the construction of cabinets for housing such apparatus.

In refrigerators of the type in use today where there is provided an exterior metal panel or panels, considerable difiiculty has been encountered in securing such panel or panels to the insulated wall. This is particularly true where the insulated wall is a hermetically sealed wall or body and it is a difficult problem to secure the cabinet panels to the hermetically sealed wall or body without afiecting the insulating quality of such wall or body.

It is therefore an object of my invention to sel5 cure an exterior panel of a refrigerator cabinet to an insulating wall, surrounding a compartment in the cabinet to be cooled, without affecting the insulating quality of the wall.

Another object of my invention is to secure an exterior panel of a refrigerator cabinet to a hermetically sealed insulating wall or body located within the cabinet without puncturing the wall of the sealed body. r

A more specific object of my invention is to removably secure an exterior panel or shell of a refrigerator cabinet to a hermetically sealed insulating wall or body located within the cabinet without affecting the insulating quality of the body or marring the finish on the panel or shell and. also without deviating from the general straight line appearance of the panel or shell.

. Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 discloses a vertical sectional view, taken on the line 11 of Fig. 2, of a refrigerator cabinet constructed in accordance with my invention; a

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the cabinet taken on the line 2-2 and having the door thereof omitted; and I 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the means constructed according to'my invention for supporting the cabinet exterior shell, or panel to the body surrounding the food storage compartment.

- Referring to thedrawing, for the purpose of 55 ported upon an annular frame l4having one of illustrating my invention, I have shown in Fig. 1 thereof a refrigerator cabinet 10of the household (oi. 'azo-a) its sides 15 formed as a part of a vertically disposed door opening frame 16. Wall 13 provides a base for a refrigerant liquefy'ing and condensing unitof any conventional design. In the present disclosure this unit comprises a compressor 18 which withdraws vaporized refrigerant from an evaporator 19, through conduit 21, compresses same and delivers the compressed refrigerant to a condenser 22 through conduit 23. The compressed refrigerant is cooled and liquefied in condenser 22 in any suitable mannerand is then directed through a conduit 24 to a receiver 25. Re- .ceiver 25 is connected to an expansion valve 26 by a conduit 27. Expansion valve 26 is adapted to automatically control the flow of liquid refrigerant from conduit 27 to the evaporator or cooling unit 19 in any suitable manner for maintaining the evaporator 19 between certain predetermined temperature limits to insure that the compartment 12 will be cooled to the proper low temperature.

A metal lining 31 is secured by screws or the like 32 which pass through a molding piece 33, adapted to cover the edge of lining 31 into the door opening frame 16. The lining 31 provides the walls of compartment 12 and also provides the inner wall of an insulated body or wall to be hereinafter more fully described. A door 9 pivotally mounted by hinges (not shown) secured to door frame 16 provides access to the interior of compartment 12 and to the evaporator 19 of the refrigerating system disposed in the cabinet. The linnig 31 is surrounded by a layer of any suitable flexible or compressible insulating material 34 such for example, as rock cork, balsam wool, etc. A metal covering 35 surrounds the insulation 34 and has its lower and side edges secured, by tacks or nails 36, to the door opening frame 16. The upper edge of metal cover 35* is secured to the upper side of the annular frame 14 by tacks or nails 37. A sheet or strip of adhesive tape 38 or By virtue of the strips or sheets of adhesive tape 38, 39 and 41 and the clamping of the edges of the inner and outer walls of the insulated wall to the frames 14 and 16 it is apparent that the insulated wall is eficiently sealed or that the insu lated wall is sealed to provide a substantially hermetically sealed body.

The sealed insulating body, including the frame 16 and the annular frame pieces la and 15, is adapted to be supported within a shell or panel 43 which forms the exterior wall or exterior panels of the cabinet m- This body is secured at the front of the cabinet by a screw i4 whichapasses through an inturned flange formed on the shell l3 and also passes through the door molding piece. 33and engages the door opening frame 16. The outer shell 43 is formed to provide smooth front and sides of cabinet 10 and may be coated,

witha vitreous enamel or plated with a metal of high polishability to afford a cabinet of pleasing appearance. Legs 45 formed at the bottom of shell as are adapted to rest on the floor of the building in which the cabinet is to be placed.

A further support for the insulated wall or her-' metically sealed body at the front of the cabinet may be provided if desired. For example, an

' L-shape'd metal piece 46 may be soldered or weld- ,body and the refrigerant liquefying and circulating unit mounted thereon necessitates a .rigid attachment 'of the insulated body to the shell 43, at other than the frontof cabinet 10, and since itis-not satisfactory to puncture or extend fastening means through the covering 35 of the substantially hermetically sealed insulating wall or body, some means must be provided for rigidly securing the insulated wall or body' to the shell 43 at the rear of the cabinet 10. My invention is particularly directed to a means for fastening the sealed insulated body or attaching the cover 35 thereof to the exterior shell 43 of the cabinet without the necessity of passing the fastening means through the cover 35 in order to rigidly support the major portion of the weight of food storage compartment 12. To this end I provide a plurality of indentations 4'7 in the cover 35 (see Fig. 3). These indentations 4'7 may be of any suitable form and may be made in'cover 35 prior to its being assembled over the insulating material or may, if desired, be made in the cover after same is assembled. Each indentation 4'7 forms a cavity for receiving a similarly shaped socket member or nut 48 which is soldered or welded in the cavity formed by the indentations. Each socket member or nut 48 is provided witha boss 49 which extends outwardly from the base of the socket member, secured to the cover 35, so as to be substantially fiush with the outer surface of cover 35. Each boss 49 is provided with-a threaded opening or passage 51 adapted to receive a screw or bolt.

The insulated body or wall is placed in position in the shell 43 by spreading the sides of shell 43 outwardly so that inturned flanges 54 at the back of the shell will not interfere with the insertion into the shell of the insulated body. The hermetically sealed insulating body is then securely fastened to the shell 43 at the front of the cabinet 10 as hereinbefore described. The side walls of shell 43 are then pressed against the cover 35 of the insulated body so that holes 53 provided in the inturned flanges 54 formed on shell 43, which flanges are adapted to extend around the corner at the rear of the cabinet, will be held in alignment with the threaded openings 48 in the boss at the point where the screws 55 are passed through the flanges 54 of shell 43. A second washer 5'7, constructed. so as to be semi-flexible, is also placed under the head of screws 55 which applies pressure, due to tightening of screws 55,

same time insuring that the insulated compartment therein to be cooled will be rigidly and securely mounted within exterior walls of the cabinet. My invention furthermore permits the exterior walls or panels of the cabinet to be free of raised portions or obstructions thus not departing from the general flat straight line appearance of the cabinet.

While the form of embodimentof the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

, 1. A refrigerator cabinet comprising in combination, means forming a wall of a compartment to be cooled, means associated with said first named means and forming a substantially hermetically sealed insulating chamber along said compartment wall, a support for said chamber including a shell or panel forming the exterior wall of said cabinet, a plurality of indentations in said second named means, and a fastening device for clamping the chamber to said support,

said device including a portion secured in said indentations adapted to receive another portion thereof engaging said shell or panel.

2. A refrigerator cabinet comprising in combination, a sheet metal member forming a wall of a compartment to be cooled, a second sheet metal member cooperating with said first named sheet metal member and adapted to be spaced therefrom, means spacing said sheet metal members apart and arranged to provide a substantially hermetically sealed insulating chamber therebetween, a support for said chamber including a shell or panel forming the exterior wall of said cabinet, a plurality of indentations in said sec- -.ond named sheet metal member, and a fastening panel or shell and secured to said member.

4. A refrigerator cabinet including a food storage compartment having spaced apart inner and outer walls, insulation between said walls, an outer panel or shell covering said; outer wall, and means for attaching said panel or shell to said outer wall, said means including a depressed portion in said outer wall, a member in said depressed portion and a fastening device engaging said panel or shell and rem'ovably secured to said member, said; member being substantially flush with said aforesaid outer wall. 1

5. A refrigeratorcabinet including a food storage compartment having spaced apart inner and outer walls, insulation between said walls, an outer panel or shell covering said outer wall, and means for attaching said panel or shell to said outer wall, said means including-a depressed portion in said outer wall, a nut in said depressed portion and a bolt engaging said panel or shell and screw-threaded into said nut.

6. A refrigerator cabinet comprising in combination a wall forming a compartment to be cooled, a second wall spaced from said first wall and forming a hermetically sealed insulating chamber along said compartment wall, a support for said chamber including a shell or panel forming the exterior wall of said cabinet, said' supporting panel abutting said. second named wall and lying in substantiallyrthe same plane therewith-and means for secur g ,Said second named wall to said chamber supporting shell or panel without destroying the sealing efiect'of saidhermetically sealed chamber.

7. A refrigerator cabinet comprising in combination, a wall forming a compartment t6 be cooled, a second wall spaced from said first wall and forming a hermetically sealed insulating chamber along said compartment wall, a support for said chamber including a shell or panel forming the exterior wall of said cabinet, said supporting panel abutting said second named wall and lying in substantially the same plane therewith, and means for securing said second named wall to said chamber supporting shell or named wall and having another portion movable relative to said first portion engaging said supporting shell or panel.

8. A refrigerator cabinet comprising in combination, walls defining a hermetically sealed chamber around a compartmentto be cooled, said compartment having a door opening providing access thereto, a panel or shell extending over certain of the walls of said chamber and providing an exterior finish wall for said cabinet, means for securing said panel or shell to said chamber adjacent said door opening, and means for detachably securing said panel orshell directly to a wall portion of said sealed chamber at a point, spaced from the point of attachment thereof by said first named securing means without passing said detachable securing means through the wall portion of the chamber.

HAROLD D. EIGHE; 

